Kazakhstan is about to become visa-free for 26 countries

The issue is currently under serious consideration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan and National Chamber of Entrepreneurs have jointly developed and support the visa-free regime project together with Ministry for Investment and Development. “It’s a continuation of the previously started pilot covering 10 countries. This time the number of visa-free countries will be increased to 26. We hope this will help us in the EXPO,” Gulnar Kurbanbayeva, Deputy Chair of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, told the journalists at the briefing in Central Communication Service headquarters.

“We hope that by this summer we will have a new legal act allowing foreigners to visit our country without a visa” added Ms. Kurbanbayeva. However, she did not specify the names of the countries covered by the new project.

Let us remind that in June 2014, at the 27th session of the Foreign Investors’ Council, the Head of state announced the decision to unilaterally establish a visa-free regime for citizens of the USA, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Korea and Japan.

In the period specified, citizens of these countries who have valid diplomatic, service and national passports may repeatedly enter the territory of Kazakhstan and stay there for up to 15 calendar days. The visa-free regime was to operate on a trial basis for a year. Later it was announced to be extended till July 15, 2016.